Living History BEECH G18S DARREN HARBAR • CARLO FERRARI CARLO • HARBAR DARREN PHOTOS
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above: Living History BEECH G18S DARREN HARBAR • CARLO FERRARI CARLO • HARBAR DARREN PHOTOS ast July, while wearing an several times previously. The Pratt in reality, too late to have worn Olive Drab paint scheme & Whitney-powered machine was an actual military Olive Drab Lwith weathered effect flown by owner Carlo Ferrari and, livery as sported today. In fact, the detailing, Beech G18S N45CF made under his ownership, has attracted aircraft has very much led a civilian the journey from its home base the attention of both small screen existence, having been operated at Bressaucourt, Switzerland, to and cinematic directors. by Southern Airways as N9606R in the grass airfield at Old Warden, Florida between 1963-66, before Bedfordshire. This was just a brief Civilian and commercial being owned by the Business Men’s stopover before the aircraft’s visit The aircraft was built as Assurance Company of America. to the Royal International Air Tattoo construction number BA-466, a Following a three-year stint with at Fairford, Gloucestershire, where G18S ‘Expeditor’ in November the latter in Kansas, the aircraft this twin-tailed classic has appeared 1959 by Beech at Wichita, Kansas; passed to Pegasus Transport Inc 108 FlyPast March 2020 above: LIGHTS A Switzerland-based Beech 18 has CAMERA gained its own measure of fame through TV and big screen appearances. Darren Harbar joined this blossoming ACTION! star in the air based in Cincinnati, Ohio, where it company meant the aircraft was until 2008, the Beech was to above The fictitious took up the registration N788MW. registered to Younkin Air Service be found by Carlo Ferrari, who American markings do By 1976, the Beech had been sold in 1988, before the Beech moved relocated the airframe to Europe. not look out of place again and adopted pale blue trim to Cape Central Airways at Cape Carlo was working as a member on this later mark of Beech 18, and give over a white fuselage, bedecked Girardeau, Missouri, in July that of Zurich Airport’s management the aircraft a definite with the name Semo Airways year. The aircraft remained in the in the late 1990s, when a friend wartime feel. across the window line. This USA until 1994 when it departed asked if he would be interested in Malden, Missouri-based operation to Canada to join Central Pacific flying his Beech 18. “The idea was employed the aircraft until 1984, Outfitters/Bottenfields Winisk Air to run a small but exclusive flight when it moved to Springdale in at Pickle Lake, Ontario, where it service with a classic airliner, and Arkansas to be used by Northwest gained the Canadian registration to fly the customers to interesting Air Cargo. A further change of C-GJKA. Remaining in Canada destinations such as Ticino and March 2020 FlyPast 109 above: Living History BEECH G18S Flown by its Valais, and around the Matterhorn Beech 18. First came Marvel’s 2011 and told me he needed a sparkling owner, the Beech [both Switzerland],” Carlo blockbuster Captain America – polished Beech 18 for filming. 18 closes in on the explained, adding: “The project The First Avenger. Initially, I mistakenly understood camera aircraft, did not even realise one single Carlo relayed how that particular it to be for something like a TV showing its wonderful lines and twin radial commercial flight, but during the appearance developed: “During commercial and asked what kind engines for the training I fell in love with this a parajumper event [a charity of product it would be promoting? I exclusive ‘FlyPast’ aircraft type. Time passed and parachuting event for a seriously even suggested that maybe it would photo sortie. more than a decade later, I found injured paratrooper from the be better to look for another Beech an advertisement on the internet German Armed Forces], in 18, because mine still had some of that offered a Beech G18S for sale Tannheim [Austria], my mobile the paint on it from a movie shoot in Canada. The ‘Beech Fever’ was phone rang several times. I could in Canada a few years before I suddenly very much rekindled not answer the call during the bought it; at that time I didn’t know and I just had to investigate. climb to FL130 [13,000ft] because of exactly which movie, but I later During countless evenings in the the engine noise, and thus left the found out it was A Different Loyalty kitchen of my girlfriend, together phone ringing in my pocket. Some starring Sharon Stone. we calculated all the possibilities additional flights later, the aircraft “Mike explained that he had and designed and discarded and I stood at the 'gas station' already spoken to another owner, several business cases to utilise the and again I could hear my mobile but he was not interested in such aircraft. Finally, we decided it was a ringing from the cockpit. Again, I operations. I, however, found the risk worth taking and to bring the did not answer – this time because idea very interesting and agreed Beech 18 to Europe from Canada. of the danger of explosion. When I spontaneously. “The flight from Quebec to finally got around to looking at my “Having not done this kind of Switzerland was what we declared phone, I thought it must have been thing before, I thought polishing the as half a worldwide trip. When the a misdial as the call number was Beech and the actual filming would second part is to take place, we from the UK. ‘Who the heck tried take place several weeks later. My have not yet decided,” he added. to call me from England in July’, experience in aircraft operations I asked myself (at that time I had told me that it takes some time to Superhero debut very few contacts there and they plan a flight campaign (air routes, The Beech has made three main certainly did not want to talk to me refuelling, overflight permits, film appearances since Carlo has at this time of the year, because insurance and adjustments), but owned it, but it seems there is more the football season had not Mike gave me a pretty challenging to come in that line. Opportunities yet started!). schedule. A former colleague such as these do not simply appear “After the last flight rotation, provided a brand new hangar space from nowhere, but Carlo shared I finally found time to call the at Basel-Mulhouse Airport for the some interesting comments on how number and a friendly gentleman polishing work, but the crew of the film work materialised for his called Mike answered the phone Flying Colours based there did not above: 110 FlyPast March 2020 above: want me to damage the floor of the hangar – and decided that ‘outside use’ was more favourable. Over the following five days we had a team of five, working from the early hours until nine at night, stripping, painting and polishing the Beech.” Air-to-air shoots Carlo continued: “Immediately after completing the polishing work at Basel-Mulhouse, I had to bring the aeroplane (with the painting crew on board), from there to Yverdon-les-Bains [in Switzerland’s Vaud canton], where we had an appointment with the film crew the next day. “For the next three days, accompanied by the camera helicopter, I flew into various previously selected recording areas in the Jura Mountains, the Vaud and Fribourg Alps, and in the region between Lake Geneva and Fribourg. suffered a similar telephone-based above Parked misunderstanding to the one he’d alongside the B-25 had with Captain America. He pair that also featured explained: “I had just arrived at the in ‘Catch 22’, the Beech receives its office when the telephone rang – Olive Drab colour the displayed number obviously scheme on location belonged to a caller from England in Sardinia. once again. I immediately grabbed left A high level of some documents for an upcoming polishing took place aircraft fire extinguisher repair, to prepare the Beech which was being executed in the for its role in Marvel’s next few days within the UK. I was ‘Captain America’. This surprised, however, not to hear the image clearly shows the mirror-like finish voice of the person responsible for achieved at Basel- that work, but instead it was Mike Mulhouse, after much who had called me about Captain hard work. America. His opening comment was, ‘is your Beech still flying? I need your plane next summer’, to which I responded, ‘of course, the day were transmitted to the the Beech flies regularly – during studios in the evening and, the winter times less, but it still flies’.” “…the machine morning after during the briefing, Carlo detailed how the new job has attracted it was determined which settings developed: “Initially, there was had to be recorded again. A [special talk of about one week’s work and the attention of effects] blue screen was not an included in this was the targeted option so for the film shots inside disfigurement of the Captain both small screen the cabin, a mock-up was created America film’s highly polished and cinematic with the help of photos. This finish on my machine. Fortunately, enabled an easier illumination I was able to co-ordinate the directors” of the cabin and more precise schedule around pre-arranged navigation with the cameras company meetings in my diary. in the studios.” A few days before the departure Storyboards were presented during When it came to his aircraft’s to Sardinia where filming would the daily morning briefing for us involvement in last year’s Catch- take place, in came the updated to see what was required on the 22 TV series, starring George schedule, which revealed my Beech flights.